Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers was recognized for his philanthropy in Los Angeles with the highly coveted Roberto Clemente Award on Monday, Oct. 31.
The third baseman becomes the third player of the Dodgers franchise who has been honored with the award, joining Steve Garvey (1981) and Clayton Kershaw (2012).
“The Dodger organization is very proud that Justin Turner has won the 2022 Roberto Clemente Award,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a news release. “Justin and his wife, Kourtney, embody everything that the Award stands for. Their unwavering dedication to the community and supporting everyone around them is truly special, and something we can all strive to achieve.”
Turner was nominated five times in the past six seasons as he and his wife, Kourtney Pogue, founded the Justin Turner Foundation in 2016. The couple, married in 2017, has frequently visited Cedars Sinai Hospital and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.
The non-profit organization benefits homeless veterans, children battling life-altering illnesses, and various youth baseball organizations—donating over 70,000 toys and 14,000 bicycles to children in the Los Angeles area.
The award is named after Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico—who died in a plane crash on New Year Eve in 1972 while en route to deliver supplies to Nicaragua earthquake victims—is given to the MLB player “who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
The 38-year-old Turner found success after coming to the Dodgers in 2014, batting .340, and became one of the team’s best hitters, helping the club win their sixth World Series in 2020, seven straight division titles, and three pennants.
The Dodgers recently won a franchise record 111-regular season games in 2022 on the way to winning their 20th NL West Division title, before falling to the San Diego Padres in the NL West Playoffs.
Turner was born in Long Beach and attended nearby Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif., where he earned league MVP, hitting .514 as a senior and winning three-time All-Suburban first-team honors.
He majored in kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton and received All-American honors from “Baseball America” at second base in 2003.
Turner was also named to the 2003 College World Series all-tournament team at shortstop, and the Titans of CSF would win a two-game final to capture the 2004 College World Series against the University of Texas.
He passed on his 29th round draft selection by the Yankees in 2005 and signed the following year with the Cincinnati Reds as the 204th pick in the seventh round—and would eventually play for the Orioles and the Mets before signing with the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles City Council declared Jan. 22, 2019, “Justin Turner Day” in honor of Turner’s philanthropic contributions. The foundation is an official charity for the LA Marathon, hosts an annual charity golf tournament, and partners with Paralyzed Veterans of America, 17 Strong, and the Dream Center.
